Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,315 in Motherwell versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,439 in Motherwell versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Motherwell versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Motherwell is roughly 84% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Motherwell is 73% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.51 £15.27

$11.99 MX$209

71.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 £60.7

$41.78 MX$728

95.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 £7.56

$10.75 MX$187

-5.58%

Cappuccino

$4.62 £3.44

$3.50 MX$60.9

32.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.45 MX$25.22

60.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.20

$0.88 MX$15.41

82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 £4.64

$2.95 MX$51.3

111.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 £4.42

$4.51 MX$78.6

31.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.43 MX$24.94

10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.84 MX$31.99

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.57 MX$27.31

38.85%

Eggs

$3.92 £2.92

$2.51 MX$43.74

56.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.49

$8.28 MX$144

21.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 £6.52

$8.43 MX$147

3.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 £10.64

$10.68 MX$186

33.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.25

$2.61 MX$45.43

15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.44 MX$25.04

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.14

$1.96 MX$34.16

46.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 £2.59

$2.09 MX$36.47

66.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.85 MX$32.24

-8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.17 MX$37.74

-29.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 £0.83

$1.03 MX$17.96

7.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.07 MX$18.70

35.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.05 £14.19

$4.10 MX$71.4

364.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.97

$10.17 MX$177

5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.07

$1.68 MX$29.17

66.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 £2.33

$2.53 MX$43.98

23.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 £2.46

$0.51 MX$8.87

549.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.1 £65.6

$26.04 MX$453

238.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.08

$3.23 MX$56.3

69.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.41 MX$41.88

-34.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.41 £17.43

$3.23 MX$56.2

624.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.32 MX$23.00

43.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.2K £29.2K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

31.89%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.7K £30.3K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

72.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$295 £220

$82.0 MX$1,428

259.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.17 £12.78

$22.95 MX$400

-25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.45 £32.35

$30.11 MX$524

44.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 £34.03

$52.0 MX$905

-12.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.68 £4.97

$18.53 MX$323

-63.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 £10.23

$4.98 MX$86.6

175.90%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,608 £1,197

$197 MX$3,438

714.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.8K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

248.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 £62.5

$35.60 MX$620

135.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 £32.08

$40.33 MX$702

6.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 £68.8

$78.8 MX$1,371

17.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 £74.3

$88.9 MX$1,549

12.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 £909

$947 MX$16.5K

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 £754

$474 MX$8,254

113.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,078 £1,547

$1,644 MX$28.6K

26.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 £1,279

$1,211 MX$21.1K

41.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,247 £3,907

$4,056 MX$70.6K

29.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Motherwell: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,221 in Motherwell and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Motherwell vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Motherwell vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,473 in Motherwell and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,221 in Motherwell versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Motherwell. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $82.0 in Motherwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,315 in Motherwell, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Motherwell. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Motherwell, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Motherwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.